Gripping, dark and emotionally engaging

It was impossible not to be totally gripped by this story. Dora is on one hand a successful radio presenter with a seemingly charmed life. In reality she is looking after her demented father, difficult son and is being constantly harangued by her ghastly family. Mona is brought in to solve her domestic problems. She is a tragic character, forced to leave her daughter with her ailing mother in Morocco and desparate to find her husband who has disappeared.
The two women initially appear to be sympathetic and there is potential for some mutual understanding between them, but as the tale develops, darker forces come into play and it becomes evident that one character has a very sinister past.
There are some parts of this story that had me seething with rage and it is all the more disturbing that every element is totally believable and made possible by the laws in this country.
This is a wonderfully dramatic tale with faultless narration. The second half of the book flew by as I waited with gritted teeth for the final denouement. I was not disappointed.

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9 people found this helpful

Duelling narrators

Have you listened to any of Adjoa Andoh and Anna Bentinck ’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Two of my favourite narrators make this audiobook a far greater pleasure than if I'd read the book myself.

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Spoiled by Adjoa this time

I have listened to Adjoa many times before and enjoyed her narration so why she has changed her style so much for this book.I have never heard a language where the rrrrs are rolled so much and I am not a youngster. The story grabbed my interest at first but then became repetitive a rather tiresome.

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Darkening Hour

Great listen I wanted to keep on listening , couldn't wait to find out more . Thoroughly enjoyed it. Well written great narrators

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Great Story

If you could sum up The Darkening Hour in three words, what would they be?

Realistic Understandable Engaging

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Dora's character the best, as I feel we all have worked with or know someone who thinks like Dora. Her need to be liked and her angry jealous feelings. I could easily identify with her, although I had to feel pity for her also.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I liked most of the voices which were easily recognised without the narration, although I did find some of Adjoa Andoh sometimes a little more difficult to understand. This certainly didn't take away from the story line.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Be careful what you wish for.

Any additional comments?

Very enjoyable, I would recommend reading Tideline if you enjoyed this.

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Atmospheric

Would you consider the audio edition of The Darkening Hour to be better than the print version?

Yes. The narration gives the characters life. Adjoa and Anne were perfect voices for Theodora and Mona. Also the men's voices were believable too.

What did you like best about this story?

The description of the statues and river were, to me as a Londoner, spot on. I actually felt very cold in parts of the descriptive narration of the river.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I really can't pick one but Mona's seeing snow for the first time stands out.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me feel sad for the fact that the plight of migrant workers is unfortunately, not fiction.

Any additional comments?

Curl up somewhere warm and comfortable and enjoy.

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Brilliant story

I enjoyed this narration having read the novel myself a few years ago. Ann Bentinck was superb but I didn't like Adjoa Andohs narration much, it was quite grating and a little false sounding.

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Overly worked narrators and uninspiring storyline

Sorry but this was not for me. The 2 main characters were irritating (perhaps meaningly) but as the book progressed the irritation became annoying. I almost gave up but followed through hoping for a twist or good ending - sadly disappointed. Best character was the son.
I won't recommend or bother with another from same author.
Sorry:(

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